Mantenna - Thursday, June 11

Cher’s daughter is becoming a man, David Letterman calls Sarah Palin "slutty," and Marus Nispel is rumored to be directing Conan...it's the Mantenna!

Source: Mirek Towski/Getty Images

Cher’s Daughter Becoming a Man

Cher’s daughter Chastity Bono is becoming a man. The 40-year-old, who is known as Chaz to family and friends, is in the process of transitioning from a woman to a man. A spokesperson released the following statement: “Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his coming out did nearly 20 years ago.” [NY Daily News]

David Letterman Calls Sarah Palin "Slutty"

Sarah Palin was in New York City over the weekend but didn't stop by the Late Show with David Letterman. This upset Letterman, so on Monday night’s show he dedicated his famed Top 10 list to Palin. The list, "Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip to New York,” included the line “Bought makeup from Bloomingdale's to update her 'slutty flight attendant' look.” Palin and her supporters took offense. The Governor of Alaska accused Letterman of making "sexually perverted" and "inappropriate" comments and refused to appear on his show in the future. [Asylum]

Marus Nispel To Direct Conan?

Devin Faraci is reporting that Millennium/Nu Image have finalized the search for a Conan director, and the choice is Marcus Nispel, who headed up the re-dos of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th . Devin relies on an unnamed “impeccable source” but he isn’t one to run everything that drops into the inbox. You can treat this as rumor if you’d like until confirmation appears, but Devin’s faith in the source and the story are a good indicator that it is on the money. [Film Junk]

Scott Storch Recovering From Cocaine Addiction and $30 Million Loss

Source: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

If you thought Scott Storch was dead, you’d be wrong. Lost in a three-year cocaine-abusing haze, Scott Storch lost more money than most people will see in five lifetimes: $30 million. Scott blew almost his entire fortune on coke, cars, houses, lavish trips, partying, and a series of what he calls "poor judgment decisions." Earlier this month, Storch was arrested for grand theft auto for allegedly failing to return a Bentley he'd leased in 2006. And last year, Storch hit legal trouble after reportedly falling behind on both his child support payments and his property taxes. I love the rap game. [MTV]

Michael Jackson's Ears Are Falling Apart

Shocking damage caused to Michael Jackson's ear by repeated plastic surgery has apparently been revealed. The not-so-attractive ear skin was front and center as Jackson left a medical clinic in California yesterday, where he has been receiving treatment for skin cancer. The left ear looked as though the outer ring had been removed. It is thought cartilage has been repeatedly taken from the 50-year-old's ear to rebuild his nose, which was damaged during extensive surgery. Yuk. [Daily Mail]

Tesla Motors Sued Yet Again, This Time, By Founder

Tesla's done a good job keeping itself out of the courtroom recently, but the good times don't last forever -- founder Martin Eberhard has just sued the company and CEO Elon Musk for libel, slander, and breach of contract. Eberhard claims that after he and Mark Tapenning founded Tesla, he was summarily pushed out of the company by Musk, wrongfully denied his severance package, and then disparaged both publicly and within the company -- and on top of it all, Musk sent the second Roadster produced out for "endurance testing" where it was wrecked instead being sold to Eberhard as promised. Ouch. Interestingly, the core of the lawsuit directly mirrors the suit filed former PR director David Vespremi over the same series of events, so it seems like there's a pattern here, but we'll see how much of this is true when Tesla and Eberhard face off in the courtroom. [Auto Blog Green]

OPEC Won't Turn On the Taps Until Oil is $100/Barrel

Like cheap gas? OPEC doesn't! Currently, the price is around $70 a barrel – up almost 60% this year – but way, way down compared to the highs of 2008. Oh, and when the $100 price per barrel threshold is reached, only then will OPEC "maybe" consider putting more supply into the market. The organization sees the recent rise in prices as the result of investors looking for good places to put their money, not because demand for the product is rising. Wasn't this the excuse they used last summer? [Bloomberg]